Ply turning apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for turning-up and consolidating the free ends of a carcass ply around bead portions of tire carcass being built on a building drum comprising two assemblies each disposed equal distances from the midcircumferential plain of the drum on opposite sides thereof and movable simultaneously axially of the drum. Each assembly comprises a first freely rotatable disc tool and two freely rotatable frustoconical rollers mounted one on each side of the tool and inclined towards it, the rollers supporting and manipulating the free ends during the turning-up and consolidating operation by the tool to substantially prevent distortion and ruckling of the ply. A second tool may also be provided on each assembly for consolidating an element such as a breaker cushion or fitter strip located between the bead portions of the tire carcass being built.

Uite States Patent [72] Inventors John F. Askam Sutton Coldiield;Charles Goodwin, Alrewas, both of England [21] Appl. No. 778,943 [22]Filed Nov. 26, 1968 [45] Patented Oct. 26, 1971 [73] Assignee The DunlopCompany Limited London, England [32] Priority Dec. 1, 1967 [33] GreatBritain [31] 54,827/67 [54] PLY TURNING APPARATUS 15 Claims, 5 DrawingFigs.

[52] US. Cl 156/402 [51] Int. Cl 132% 17/22 [50] Field of Search156/132, 394, 398, 400, 402, 410, 413, 421

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,760,929 6/1930 Wikle156/402 2,649,892 8/1953 Appleby ABSTRACT: Apparatus for turning-up andconsolidating the free ends of a carcass ply around bead portions oftire carcass being built on a building drum comprising two assemblieseach disposed equal distances from the midcircumferential plain of thedrum on opposite sides thereof and movable simultaneously axially of thedrum. Each assembly comprises a first freely rotatable disc tool and twofreely rotatable frustoconical rollers mounted one on each side of thetool and inclined towards it, the rollers supporting and manipulatingthe free ends during the turning-up and consolidating operation by thetool to substantially prevent distortion and ruckling of the ply. Asecond tool may also be provided on each assembly for consolidating anelement such as a breaker cushion or fitter strip located between thebead portions of the tire carcass being built.

PATENTEDnm 26 an SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENTEUUBT 25 197i SHEET 3 0F 4 DellPATENTEDUCT 2s |97l SHEET u [If 4 PLY TURNING APPARATUS This inventionrelates to the manufacture of pneumatic tires.

in the manufacture of pneumatic tires a building drum is utilized uponwhich rubberized fabric plies are wrapped and it is well known that beadportions are enclosed at the edges of the plies by the turning-up ofplies around them; this operation can cause considerable dficultyparticularly when the plies incorporate steel wire cords.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedapparatus to enable this operation more effectively to be carried out.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for turning-upand consolidating a ply of a tire carcass comprising a tire buildingdrum for supporting said ply and a bead portion of the carcass beyondwhich a free end of a ply wrapped around the drum may extend and anassembly comprising two freely rotatable rollers and a first freelyrotatable disc-shaped tool for engagement with the ply to press itdirectly against the bead portion, means being provided for traversingthe first disc-shaped tool in contact with the ply around the beadportion during rotation of the drum to effect tumup of the ply, the saidrollers being mounted one to each side of the first discshaped tool toengage the free end of the ply clear of the drum and to support andmanipulate it during the turning-up and consolidating operation.

Preferably the rollers are of elongated, approximately cylindrical form,for example, frustoconical shaped, rounded or not at the smallerdiametered end thereof. Preferably, also, the axes of rotation of therollers are inclined towards one another with respect to an intermediateaxis so that the axes are closest together at the smaller diameteredends of the rollers.

The apparatus may also turn up and consolidate other plies or layers ofrubberized fabric provided in a tire in addition or alternatively to acarcass ply. in one example of an operation carried out by theapparatus, a chafer or filler strip is applied to the drum prior to thecarcass ply which is located radially outwardly of the strip, the twolayers consolidated together and then both turned up and consolidatedaround the bead portion.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the apparatus according to the invention,when the bead-spinning operation is just about to commence,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a part sectional part scrap view of the righthand assemblyof FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows, in diagrammatic form a view taken in direction of arrow X3, FIG. 3 and HO. 5 shows, in diagrammatic form a view taken along theaxis of rotation of the drum when the rollers are nearly vertical.

Throughout these drawings arrows Y indicate the direction of rotation ofthe drum during turnup. In copending US. Pat. application, Ser. No.711,727, which is assigned to assignee of the present application, atire building machine comprising a rotatable tire building drum, a firstfreely rotata ble spinning disc for engagement with a bead portion of atire mounted on the drum, a freely rotatable pivotal mounting for saiddisc to allow said disc to be rotated in an are around the bead portion,first means for disposing the rotational axis of the pivotal mountingrelative to said drum and thus to a bead portion thereon at a positionwhere engagement of the said disc with the bead portion opposes rotationof the said disc in said arc around said pivotal mounting and causes theplane of rotation of said disc to assume different angular dispositionswith respect to the bead portion, and second means for urging said discagainst said bead portion and for rotatably urging said disc in an arcaround said bead portion whereby the plane of rotation of said discassumes successively different predetermined angular dispositionsrelative to the bead portion.

The apparatus of the present invention for building an 18.00X25 sizeearthmover tire carcass incorporates many of the features disclosed inthe aforementioned application and is referred to generally in thedrawings by the numeral 1.

It comprises a cylindrical, rotatable tire building drum 2 and two beadtumup and spinning assemblies 3 and 4, one for each bead portion B of atire carcass T to be built on the drum 2. Each assembly is locatedgenerally underneath the drum on two parallel shafts 5 and 6, disposedparallel to and spaced apart from the horizontal axis and surface of thedrum 2. The upper shaft 5 is screw-threaded in opposite senses at eachof its ends 5a and 5b, and the assemblies are located thereon by twoscrew-threaded collars 7 forming part of the assemblies at equaldistances from the midcircumferential plane of the drum. Rotation ofthis shaft 5 in one direction causes simultaneous movement of eachassembly either towards or away from the said midcircumferential planein a direction axially of the drum, while reverse rotation causesopposite movement of the assemblies. While this movement occurs theassemblies slide upon the lower shaft 6, two freely rotatable rollers 8forming part of each assembly being disposed on opposite sides of theshaft 6 to facilitate the sliding motion.

Since the two assemblies 3 and 4 are similar one being a mirror image ofthe other in the midcircumferential plane of the drum only one will bedescribed.

Each assembly comprises a first freely rotatable beadspinningdisc-shaped tool 9 disposed on a pivotally mounted cranked arm 10 andengageable with the ply (not shown) mounted on the drum to press itagainst the core C of a bead portion B. Also disposed on the arm one toeach side of the disc 9 are two frustoconically shaped freely rotatablerollers 11 and 12 the angle of frustum of cone being about 4 to the axisthereof and the smaller-diametered ends of the roller being smoothlyrounded. The first bead-spinning disc and the two rollers are mounted,together with a second freely rotatable spinning disc 13 of largerdiameter than the bead spinning disc 9 on the head portion 14 of thepivotally mounted cranked arm 10 of the end thereof further from thethreaded shaft 5. This second disc is for consolidating such tireelements as sidewall fillers and breaker cushions which form part of thecarcass. It is mounted on one side of the head portion and has a planarface which abuts the similar face on similar disc on the assembly whenthe two assemblies are located adjacent the midcircumferential plane ofthe drum. The relative disposition of both discs and the rollers is suchthat when viewed along the axis of the pivotal mounting of the arm 10i.e., as shown in FIG. 3 (in which this axis is referred to as A') thepane containing both roller axes is inclined at about 30 to the plane ofthe bead spinning disc, while the axis of the second filler orcushionspinning disc 13 is inclined at about 45 to the plane of the beadspinning disc 9.

The assembly is rotatable about the threaded shaft 5 substantiallywithin a radial plane of the drum to bring the beadspinning disc into orout of operative association with the shoulder of the drum i.e., withthe bead portion B of a tire carcass to be built thereon, by actuationof a two-stage pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly 15 pivotallyconnected between the lower part 16 of the assembly adjacent the lowershaft 6 and an arm portion 17 of the assembly extending approximately atright angles to the cranked arm 10 when viewed from the side of theapparatus 1 in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the drumi.e., as shown in FIG. 2.

The bead spinning disc 9 and associated rollers 11 and I2 are arcuatelytraversable of the bead portion B of the carcass being built on the drumby rotating the shaft 5 to cause the assembly to move axially of thedrum and simultaneously causing the cranked arm 10 to rotate about theaxis A perpendicular to the axis of the drum 2. This rotation iseffected during rotation of the drum by actuation of a double-actingpneumatic piston and cylinder assembly 19 mounted on that side of theassembly 2 or 3 further from the midcircumferential plane of the drum tocause the turning-up of the ply around the bead portion. A second pistonand cylinder assembly 18 is arranged parallel to the assembly 19 on thatside thereof further from the shaft for a purpose to be described laterboth assemblies being arranged in a yoke 20 and pivotally mounted onlevers 21 and 22 disposed in an offset position relative to the axis ofrotation of the cranked arm. Thus not only does the assembly 19 causethe disc to traverse around the bead portion, but it also appliespressure in an axial direction for consolidation as will later bedescribed.

The disposition of the bead spinning disc is such that when viewed inits position at the commencement of the turnup operation i.e., in adirection at right angles to its axis of rotation and in a directionlooking towards the drum when the disc is disposed with its axis atright angles to a plane containing the axis of rotation of the drum (asshown in FIG. 3), a circumferential plane of the disc is not tangentialto a circumference of the drum but inclined at between 2 and 5 in atrailing sense, to a trangential line, this serving to provide a goodstandard of turnup and to maintain the disc in intimate contact with theply.

The disposition of the axis of rotation of the cranked arm relative tothe shoulder of the drum and thus to the bead portion B of a tirecarcass on the drum in such that while the drum and disc are rotating,the movement of the disc d by the piston and cylinder assembly 19 limitsthe degree of arc rotation around the axis, the angular disposition ofthe disc 9 with respect to the head portion 8 thereby being set andcontrolled in a similar manner to the equivalent disc of the inventiondescribed in the above-mentioned US. Pat. application Ser. No. 711,727.This relative disposition also causes the beadspinning disc to start theturnup and consolidating operation as shown in FIG. 3 with the plane ofthe disc substantially normal to the surface of the bead portion butduring a substantial part of the arcuate movement, it moves into aleading angular disposition (shown in dotted form in FIG. 3) it havingbeen found that such a disposition of a few degrees improves theconsolidating action. However at the end of the arcuate traverse thedisc no longer has this leading disposition but its plane is normal tothe bead portion and apart from the 2 to 5inclination referred tobefore, it located in a radial plane of the drum.

As shown in P16. 4 and 5 the frustoconical rollers i 1 and 12 aregenerally inclined towards the bead-spinning disc 9 located between themso that the axes of the roller are closest at the smaller diameteredends thereof. The leading roller 12 i.e., that roller being the first tocontact a given portion of the free end of the ply during rotation ofthe drum is inclined with its axis 23 at to a line 24 joining the centerof the smaller diametered end face 12a of the roller to the center 25 ofthe drum i.e., that point where the axis of rotation of the drum passesthrough the midcircumferential plane thereof, when viewed in thedirection of arrow X in FIG. 3, whilst the trailing roller 11 isinclined at 3 in an opposite sense to the leading roller. However theconstruction of the apparatus is such that when the bead-spinning discand rollers have traversed around the head portion to a position suchthat a plane containing the longitudinal edge of each frustoconicalroller nearest the midcircumferential plane of the drum is substantiallyin a radial plane of the drum, in this position the axis of the leadingroller is inclined at 5 to a radius 26 of the drum passing through thecenter of the smaller diametered end face of the roller, whilst the axisof the trailing roller is inclined at 10. in both FIGS. 4 and 5 theinclination of the leading roller 12 is shown as a while that of thetrailing rollers 11 is shown as b, It should also be noted that thelines 24 and 25 in F 168. d and 5 are not the same.

The reason for these various inclinations and the rounded frustoconicalshape of the rollers is so that for the size of tire being built uponthe apparatus, in this case 18.00X25 when the peripheral surface of therollers engages the free end of the ply overhanging the head portion B,the peripheral speed of the ply end and that of the roller issubstantially equal along the whole length of contact between ply endand roller so as to avoid distortion of the ply fabric which mightotherwise occur during the turnup operation. However, for other sizetires other inclinations and shapes may be preferable to avoid the saiddistortion.

The operation of the apparatus just outlined will now be described.

Each spinning assembly is moved substantially tadially of the drum byactuation of the piston and cylinder assembly 15 from a disengagedposition beneath it into a position in the cylindrical space created bythe overhanging ends of the ply i.e., as shown in FIG. 1 to 3, and thebead-spinning disc 9 traversed in an are around the bead portion B toturnup and consolidate the ply end. This is effected by simultaneouslyrotating the shaft 5 to cause the assembly to move axially inwardly ofthe drum and operating the piston and cylinder assembly 19 to apply aforce in a direction axially outwardly of the drum. The disc, under theinfluence of the axially inward force of the shaft 5, the axiallyoutward force of the bead portion, thus takes up the leading angulardisposition referred to previously and traversed around the head portionB. Approximately half way round its approximately arc of traverse alimit switch is operated by the assembly which causes the piston andcylinder assembly 19 to reverse its direction of applied force so thatthis is now in direction axially inwardly of the drum. By so doing thedisc decreases its leading angular inclination so that when the arm 10on which it is mounted has moved approximately 90 the disc is insubstantially a radial plane of the drum as described previously. Duringthis opera tion the frustoconical shaped rollers have the followingfunctions.

The rollers engage with the overhanging end of the ply and are freelyrotated by it, their disposition with respect to the bead spinning discbeing such that they maintain the ply end in a position clear of thespinning disc except at the point when the spinning disc is operating toturnup and consolidate the ply.

ln Addition, they cause the ply end to bell out" and remain taut soavoiding the creation of ruckles or waves in the ply during spinning. Asthe spinning operation progresses so the ply is gently and progressivelystretched by the rollers to supplement the action of the bead-spinningdisc resulting in an accurate and undistorted ply turning operation.When the ply has been consolidated around the bead portion and thebeadspinning disc 9 has been moved a short distance axially inwardly ofthe bead portion, it is disengaged from the carcass of the tire radiallyof the drum by actuation of the piston and cylinder assembly 15. Then bysuitable actuation of the piston and cylinder assemblies 18 and 19 thecranked arm 10 is rotated to move the second filler or cushion-spinningdisc 13 into a substantially radial plane of the drum. The shaft 5 isrotated to move the assemblies adjacent to the midcircumferential planeof the drum and the piston and cylinder assembly 15 is then reactuatedto press this disc 13 against the carcass with the filler or cushionapplied thereto. 0n rotation of the shaft 5 the two assemblies 3 and 4move away from each other simultaneously commencing from themidcircumferential plane of the drum. The whole carcass is thusconsolidated across the whole axial width of the drum by means of thetwo disc tools 9 and 13. The second disc 13 is provided and used forthis last operation rather than the bead-spinning disc 9 because therollers 11 and 12 and the cranked arm 10 prevents consolidation all theway from the midcircumferential plane of the drum.

Having now described our invention what we claim is:

1. Apparatus for turning-up and consolidating a ply-of a tire carcasscomprising a tire building drum for supporting said ply and a headportion of the carcass beyond which a free end of the ply wrapped aroundthe drum may extend, an assembly comprising a first freely rotatabledisc-shaped tool and two freely rotatable rollers mounted one on eachside of said disc shaped tool, a mounting for said assembly to allowsaid assembly to traverse arcuately around the head portion duringrotation of the drum, said disc-shaped tool being mounted in saidassembly to engage that part of the ply adjacent the bead portion andpress it directly against the bead portion as said assembly is arcuatelytraversed around the bead portion, said two rollers being mounted insaid assembly adjacent said discshaped tool to engage the free end ofthe ply clear of the drum to support and manipulate it as said assemblyis traversed around the head portion, and means for traversing saidassembly about said bead portion thereby tuming-up and consolidatingsaid ply.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the rollers are offrustoconical shape.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the rollers are of roundedform at the smaller diametered end thereof.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the axes of rotation of therollers are inclined towards one another, the axes being closer at thesmaller diametered ends of the rollers.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the shape and disposition ofthe rollers relative to one another and to the drum causes theperipheral speed of the ply end engaged by the rollers to besubstantially equal along the whole length of contact between the plyend and the rollers during the turningup and consolidation operationwhereby distortion of the ply is substantially avoided.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means for moving the firstdisc-shaped tool and rollers towards the bead portion of the carcass andfor pressing that part of the ply in engagement with the tool againstthe bead portion.

7. Apparatus according to claim I wherein the means provided fortraversing the assembly around the bead portion rotatably urges thefirst tool and rollers in an are around the pivotal mounting to inclinethe first tool into predetermined angular disposition relative to thebead portion, the disposition of the rotational axis of the pivotalmounting with respect to the drum and thus to a bead portion thereonbeing such that engagement of the first tool with the ply pressedagainst the bead portion limits the degree of arc rotation of the firsttool around the pivotal mounting and thus defines the angulardisposition of the plane of rotation of the first tool with respect tothe bead portion.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the disposition and movementof the assembly causes the first tool to assume during a substantialpart of its arcuate movement round the head portion, a leading angulardisposition relative to the bead portion.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first tool is mounted onthe assembly such that when viewed in a direction at right angles to itsaxis of rotation and in a direction looking towards the drum when thefirst tool is disposed with its axis at right angles to a planecontaining the axis of rotation of the drum a circumferential plane ofthe first tool is inclined in a trailing sense at an angle of between 2and 5 to a trangent to the circumference of the bead portion to thepoint of contact between the first tool and the head portion.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a screwthreaded shaftarranged parallel to and spaced away from the drum axis upon which theassembly is disposed, rotation of the shaft causing the assembly andtherefore the first tool and rollers to move axially of the drum.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 comprising a pneumatic piston andcylinder assembly for urging the first tool and rollers in an arc aroundthe bead portion.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein simultaneous rotation of theshaft and actuation of the piston and cylinder assembly causes the firsttool to move in an are around the bead portion to consolidate that partof the ply engaged by the tool thereof.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a pneumatic piston andcylinder assembly is provided for moving the first tool in asubstantially radial plane of the drum into engagement with the plymounted thereon.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a second freely rotatabledisc-shaped tool is provided on the assembly for consolidating a tireelement between the bead core and the midcircumferential plane of thedrum.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising the said drum, twoassemblies each comprising two freely rotatable rollers, a first freelyrotatable disc-shaped tool for engagement with the ply and a secondfreely rotatable disc-shaped tool for engagement with the carcassbetween the bead portions and means for moving the two assembliessimultaneously axially of the drum in opposite directions, the distancesbetween the midcircumferential plane of the drum and the two assembliesremaining substantially equal.

l I! t I. i

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the rollers are offrustoconical shape.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein therollers are of rounded form at the smaller diametered end thereof. 4.Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the axes of rotation of therollers are inclined towards one another, the axes being closer at thesmaller diametered ends of the rollers.
 5. Apparatus according to claim1 wherein the shape and disposition of the rollers relative to oneanother and to the drum causes the peripheral speed of the ply endengaged by the rollers to be substantially equal along the whole lengthof contact between the ply end and the rollers during the turning-up andconsolidation operation whereby distortion of the ply is substantiallyavoided.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means for movingthe first disc-shaped tool and rollers towards the bead portion of thecarcass and for pressing that part of the ply in eNgagement with thetool against the bead portion.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 whereinthe means provided for traversing the assembly around the bead portionrotatably urges the first tool and rollers in an arc around the pivotalmounting to incline the first tool into predetermined angulardisposition relative to the bead portion, the disposition of therotational axis of the pivotal mounting with respect to the drum andthus to a bead portion thereon being such that engagement of the firsttool with the ply pressed against the bead portion limits the degree ofarc rotation of the first tool around the pivotal mounting and thusdefines the angular disposition of the plane of rotation of the firsttool with respect to the bead portion.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1wherein the disposition and movement of the assembly causes the firsttool to assume during a substantial part of its arcuate movement roundthe bead portion, a leading angular disposition relative to the beadportion.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first tool ismounted on the assembly such that when viewed in a direction at rightangles to its axis of rotation and in a direction looking towards thedrum when the first tool is disposed with its axis at right angles to aplane containing the axis of rotation of the drum a circumferentialplane of the first tool is inclined in a trailing sense at an angle ofbetween 2* and 5* to a trangent to the circumference of the bead portionto the point of contact between the first tool and the bead portion. 10.Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a screw-threaded shaftarranged parallel to and spaced away from the drum axis upon which theassembly is disposed, rotation of the shaft causing the assembly andtherefore the first tool and rollers to move axially of the drum. 11.Apparatus according to claim 10 comprising a pneumatic piston andcylinder assembly for urging the first tool and rollers in an arc aroundthe bead portion.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 1 whereinsimultaneous rotation of the shaft and actuation of the piston andcylinder assembly causes the first tool to move in an arc around thebead portion to consolidate that part of the ply engaged by the toolthereof.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a pneumatic pistonand cylinder assembly is provided for moving the first tool in asubstantially radial plane of the drum into engagement with the plymounted thereon.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a secondfreely rotatable disc-shaped tool is provided on the assembly forconsolidating a tire element between the bead core and themidcircumferential plane of the drum.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 1comprising the said drum, two assemblies each comprising two freelyrotatable rollers, a first freely rotatable disc-shaped tool forengagement with the ply and a second freely rotatable disc-shaped toolfor engagement with the carcass between the bead portions and means formoving the two assemblies simultaneously axially of the drum in oppositedirections, the distances between the midcircumferential plane of thedrum and the two assemblies remaining substantially equal.